LOS ANGELES -- The long-standing Lakers rumor seems to be a reality now.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that JJ Redick will become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN Sources: JJ Redick has agreed on a four-year contract to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Pelinka offered job this morning and Redick’s started working on a staff to surround himself with experience. pic.twitter.com/G66eVFRALp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024
Redick, who turns 40 on Monday, played in the NBA for 15 years. He most notably played for the Orlando Magic in the first seven years of his career and was a big part of the "Lob City" Los Angeles Clippers teams for four years.
He retired in 2021 and joined ESPN as an game analyst. Redick joined ABC-TV's top announcing crew when he replaced Doc Rivers, who took the Milwaukee Bucks coaching job in January.
Redick will follow suit with a four-year deal with his new team for what might be considered the most high-pressure coaching job in all of sports. He has had no experience coaching in a professional level.
The Lakers had tried to entice Dan Hurley, who had just won back-to-back national championships with Connecticut, to coach the team. Hurley, however, turned down the job, which was a reported six-year, $70 million deal, and chose to stay at UConn.
The Lakers were forced to look at other candidates like James Borrego and tabbed Redick, who was long rumored for the job.
Should LeBron James re-sign with the Lakers, Redick will be in an interesting position. Redick started a podcast with James earlier this year called Mind The Game Podcast, where they break down the game and talk about what goes into the intricacies of various basketball plays.
Redick will form his coaching team in the coming days as the Lakers, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last April, prepare for the two-day NBA Draft on Wednesday.